The Switch is the charming multigenerational story of the Cotton family. Leena Cotton and her grandmother, Eileen Cotton, decide to switch places for two months: with Leena leaving London to live in her grandmother’s home located in a small village in the Yorkshire Dales, and Eileen going to live with Leena’s flat mates in London.

Both Cotton ladies represent identity loss. Eileen has woke up from her life of complacency that comes with living through habit, and realised she wants an adventure to find herself. And Leena represents a character who’s lost her way through grief, and has buried herself under work to cope. This made both women relatable in their own right, and it was emotional to see their moments of realisation, their healing processes etc.

I enjoyed this story - it was mostly breezy and easy to read. It was such a cosy book, all the while dealing with serious problems like adultery, bereavement and depression. There were moments where Eileen really made me laugh. She was sassy and unabashedly shameless.

O’Leary captured the small village sentiment well, where everybody knows everybody’s business. There were supporting characters that were all well illustrated as to make them easily memorable, that is to say, as soon as they came into a scene, I wasn’t confused for a moment as to who they were. In fact, the supporting characters were probably my favourite thing about The Switch.

So, at the heart of The Switch is a sense of community and family values, that makes this a kaleidoscope of emotions: hurt, sympathy, elation, warmth and heart.

Leena’s earlier chapters were a little dull in comparison to Eileen’s, but this improved as the read went on. As well, I felt the happily ever after climax and epilogue could have been smoothed out more.

Another thing I have to praise was the clever use of other pieces of work, and the British culture. I LOVED Eileen’s cats names! And I really loved the metaphorical roles Leena gave herself and Arnold.

Truly a heartwarming story about the journey of healing from bereavement and coping with life upheavals. Perfect for fans of Grace & Frankie and The Holiday, or if you’re simply looking for a pick me up read, The Switch won’t disappoint.

Thank you so, so much to Quercus and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC, in exchange for this honest review.

I unfortunately just could not get into the storyline of this book. The characters were a bit non-descript for me and the storyline just a bit out there for my liking.

After reading Beth O'Leary's first book, The Flat Share, which was funny, feel good, fresh and totally surprising - I was massively looking forward to her second book, The Switch.

However, The Switch didn't really hit the mark for me. The story of a Grandmother and Grandaughter switching lives (albeit partially), swapping houses and towns was just a bit too ridiculous to believe. I couldn't warm to the main characters and the supporting cast were really clones of those endured in the scores of 70s and 80s British Sit-Coms I've seen over the years.

The funny bits weren't funny and the sad bits weren't sad. Everything was all a bit too predictable and pedestrian. Which is a shame, as O'Leary's first book gave me some genuine laugh out loud moments.

I won't give up on this author, due to the quality of her first book. This book, I won't remember with any great degree of fondness.

2 stars

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Thank you very much NetGalley for an advance copy of The Switch in exchange for my honest opinion!

I requested this book straight away after I finished and adored The Flatshare, which has become a new all times favourite!

Well, this one was an extremely cute read too!

I found the idea of switching very unusual and fun from the beginning and I thought that I wish everyone could do something like that every now and then!

Leena and Eileen. Eileen and Leena. Our main characters couldn't be more lovable with each other, they couldn't care more and they really did try hard with this switching houses thing!

I also liked how we were introduced to their personal problems and how that became an important and very interesting part of the story.

The Switch didn't start off as well as they both expected! Things turned out a little bit more complicated but I loved seeing how they both kept going through the struggles they found and turned them into positive stuff.

I loved Leena's relationship with her mum. I thought it was so hard and painful to know the point they were in but I really liked how it developed and everything they achieved throughout the book.

The last third of the book was a wild ride of emotions. I can't remember when was the last time I felt so many things at the same time about a book. Happiness, sadness, anxiety, fear, joy, hope, rage, excitement, etc.

I ended up shedding a tear or two because of how amazing this book was!

Beth O'Leary has definitely become a favourite author and I will 100% read anything she publishes from now on.

Grandmother Eileen and granddaughter Leena switch lives in hope of change, adventure and reconciling. Eileen lives in a small Yorkshire village and is dealing with separating from her cheating husband, and Leena has been asked to take leave from her job in London.

Switching lives at first fills them both with dread and guilt of leaving each other’s friends and responsibilities behind them. After time they both adapt to their new lives and make new friendships and revelations along the way.

As she mastered in her debut The Flatshare, O’Leary brings us fantastic side-splitting humour, sentimental moments, and relatable scenarios of our own. For me O’Leary is my favourite comfort read author besides Austen. I love that I don’t want to put her books down, and yearn for peace and quiet so I can devour them! I can’t wait to read more from this great author.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus books for letting me read this.
Beth O'Leary has done it again. It's so wonderful to experience this journey with Eileen and Leena. Both grandmother and granddaughter swap living arrangements temporarily, and what follows, is a well orchestrated series of events full of laughter, tears and love. It's just one of those books that you have to read in order to know how special it is.
This author is fast becoming an instant read for me.
4.5 stars

I have been well and truly Eileened and I am incredibly grateful. This warm-hearted book cheered me up on a drizzly wet Sunday when the world is descending into panic, it brought me sunshine and hope.
I read "The Flat Share" last year and fell utterly in love with Ms O'Leary's writing style, as well as her genuine celebration of the goodness of people. It meant though that I was a little nervous when I read that she was about to publish her second novel, just because it can be devastating when things don't live up to your ludicrously high expectations but "The Switch" did not disappoint. Not for a second. It is funny, romantic and thoroughly absorbing and I'm genuinely sorry that I finished it so quickly.
I feel I need Leeny and her grandmother Eileen in my life, they are such wonderfully drawn characters and I have loved spending every minute with them. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and just like when I sent copies of "The Flat Share" to so many people last year, I think I'll be doing the same thing with this book. Life can be dark and gloomy, but this book teaches you that we can all come through those dark periods and emerge stronger and braver for surviving the hard time.

I really enjoyed this book. Leena and her grandmother - aged 79 - swop their lives for 2 months. Leena takes on her grandma’s mantle in rural Yorkshire while Eileen tries online dating and warehouse living in London. Both have had to deal with the death of Leena’s sister and Leena needs to deal with her unresolved anger with her mother. All three need time and space to reevaluate their lives. A difficult subject but dealt with by the author with a lightness of touch and humour.

A delightful read.

I loved Beth O’Leary’s debut novel so was so excited to read this one and it didn’t disappoint at all! Funny and engaging and frustrating with well rounded characters who felt like neighbours from my childhood- very British and traits and stereotypes were blended with surprising character choices and actions which felt engaging and real. Just a lovely story which never slowed down or felt stale. Total winner!

Having read Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare and thoroughly enjoyed it I eagerly looked forward to reading The Switch and I was not disappointed.
This is a beautiful feel good hug of a book alternating between Eileen, the grandmother, and Leena, the granddaughter as they swap lives, phones, friends and houses for two months. Both of them are grieving and trying to cope with the death of Leena's sister. Eileen, 79, is also mourning the breakdown of her marriage and yearns for an adventure in her life. I loved reading both stories, Eileen in London, her online dating foray and her can do attitude and Leena in the Yorkshire Dales becoming embroiled in Neighbourhood Watch and village life, where everyone knows everyone.....and their business. It's a heart-warming story, an easy reading book that will make you laugh, care and cry, in fact its the perfect book for a curl up duvet day or a lying in the sun holiday read.
#bemoreEileen

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book.

This book. THIS BOOOOK. Oh my god. My heart is so full of love and happiness and emotions.
I was kindly sent a e-arc of this book via NetGalley and I started reading it the same day I got the email to say I had been approved by Quercus because I adored The Flatshare and I have been really excited for Beth O’Leary’s next book. When I initially read the synopsis I have to admit that I wasn’t THAT interested but I still really wanted to read it. Anyway, here we are, after having just spent four hours straight curled up on the sofa, unmoving, completely addicted to the book, and I have literally JUST finished it and thought, I need to write my review straight away, because I need to convey how uplifting and gorgeous this book was while I’m in the immediate happy book drunk phase after just finishing an incredible book.
From start to finish I was hooked. Within the first two chapters I had already burst out laughing and I had cried. Now, disclaimer, I AM an emotional person, but to be laughing and crying within two chapters is a new record, even for me.
Incase you haven’t read the blurb, Leena and Eileen Cotton are both facing slumps in their lives. As granddaughter and grandmother they come to the decision that swapping lifestyles for two months might help level them out and get them out of their slumps. Leena travels up to the Yorkshire dales to stay in her grandmother’s cottage and try to reconcile a broken relationship with her mother. While Eileen moves into her granddaughters converted London apartment in an attempt to broaden her horizons and find someone to share her life with.
This story was so beautiful. It had romance, it had drama, it had community spirit, but my favourite part was the strength you see building in the characters, especially Leena and Eileen. The strength you see from these women, even when they don’t feel that strength themselves is both astonishing and empowering, and if there’s one thing I’ve taken from this story, it’s to be your OWN Eileen Cotton.
One of my favourite aspects of this book is the age group of the characters. I LOVED that so many elderly characters are such a vital part of the plot and such important powerful characters. I love that O’Leary didn’t shy away from the fact that 79 year olds MIGHT wanna throw on black lacey underwear and have a fling. I love that they weren’t depicted as solely fragile characters. Too many books play on old people as something scary and fragile, this completely spun that around. These oldies were bad. ass.

My only issue with the book is that it felt a little rushed at the end. Just the last chapter and the epilogue. I wanted a little more, but then again I probably feel that way because I didn’t want it to end!


I got well and truly Eileened and I loved every minute of it.

Having adored The Flatshare I was over the moon to read Beth's latest novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's filled with serious issues, family, sadness, friendship, laugh out loud moments and romance.

High flyer and City exec Leena Cotton fluffs an important presentation and her boss tells her to take a two month sabbatical and come back refreshed. She's never not worked and doesn't know what she's going to do. She returns to visit her grandmother in the rural sleeply village in Yorkshire where Leena's mum and gran lives.. Her gran is sympathetic but thinks Leena needs to slow down especially to really get over her sisters death but also to make peace with her mum.

They decide on a swap - newly single 79 year old gran, Eileen is going to move in to Leena's London flat with her flatmates and find love while Leena is going to slow down and take over her gran's community tasks. Nothing can go wrong - or can it.....

What follows is an amusing tale of Eileen finding love (and sex!) on the internet and Leena having time to relax and chat things through with her mum - which works to a certain extent.. I loved all the characters (esp the elderly residents of the village) and of course her friendship with the handsome school teacher and his dog! An absolutely fantastic read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I loved The Flatshare and was so excited to see The Switch pop up and it didn't disappoint. The Switch is a superb concept that reels you in from the first few pages and holds you firmly in the grip of Eileen and Leena until you reach the very last page.

This book is full of heart and is overflowing with love and compassion, it demonstrates the value of true friends and highlights loneliness in the older generation across the country.

I loved the energy of Eileen and the determined attitude of Leena and know without a doubt they are who you would always want in your corner as they are a force to be reckoned with. I laughed and cried reading this book and I have definitely found an author who I will be eagerly awaiting further releases. If you want something to make your heart burst and feel full of all that is important love and family then grab yourself a copy!

Genuinely did not know how Beth would top the Flatshare as it was one of my favourite books of last year but I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was just as charming and engaging and well written though I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as her debut novel, only slightly. There were no unseen twists and turns in the plot but sometimes it’s comforting to read a nice feel good novel. Thanks to the author, Netgalley and Quercus for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review - Beth is fast becoming one of my favourite authors!!

This is such a heartwarming, feel-good book! I have recently finished The Flatshare so I was really keen to read The Switch. Whilst the premise of switching lives isn't that original, Beth has created such likeable, charming characters that it makes the book a joy to read. It wasn't just Leena and Eileen who were memorable characters, but I liked how the secondary characters also had their own progressions and storylines. There are some threads of romance and love throughout but ultimately, it celebrates the love of family and how they can come together in times of needs - the ending made me so happy!

If you're after an uplifting, feel-good book, then this is the one for you!

I really loved this.

When a Grandaughter and Grandmother swap their lives it really changes both of them. They take on each others roles whilst trying to sort out their own lives too. The friendships they make are really endearing.

A nice light read that has some predictability but has enough going on to keep you interested.

Leena is busy, high flying... I dunno, consultant or something? Whatever busy high flying people do. Eileen is her 79 year old grandmother, living a quiet life in small town England. They decide to swap lives - Eileen heading to London to flirt and live a little, Leena heading to the little town to slow down and heal from family tragedy. And everyone finds themselves n stuff.

This book is like Marian Keyes and Jojo Moyes got together and ate a compendium of cliches and then vomited it into a story. Of course there was a sister who died of cancer. Why is there ALWAYS someone dying or dead of cancer? I have to admit to rolling my eyes pretty hard when I realised this was the tragic back story, and I think maybe eye rolling was not the intended effect ha! Pretty much the whole book revolves around the characters coping with their grief over this death, so big old trigger warning for cancer, loss and grief.

There's ALWAYS a crappy boyfriend in the beginning that the main character has to realise is crappy. There's always the "love in unexpected places". Then there's good old chestnuts like "couple with sexual tension are tripped up by dog and fall into each other" - YES SERIOUSLY. My eyes were permanently in the back of my skull by this point.

Look, I admit this isn't my usual genre. I've not read the author's first novel but I'd heard really good things about it. I sometimes like to read a palate cleanser between fantasy series, and a good book is a good book right, regardless of genre. Well, so I thought. Everyone else seems to love this so I guess other people like reading about normal people's really boring lives, told like a literature class lesson on Cliches in Modern Literature.

Honestly, it's harmless and sweet I guess. But I found reading it a chore.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, sorry I can't be more enthusiastic about this one.

Having recently read 'Flatshare' I was very excited to received an ARC of Beth O' Leary's new book.
I though this was a very enjoyable and light hearted read. I would definitely recommend.

What a delightful book! I could not put this down, and stayed up to 1am finishing it. I loved every character in this book and feel each character brought something new and enjoyable to the story. And if I take anything from this story it is to be more like the Cotton women. I have not read Flatshare but if it is anywhere near as good as this I defiantly understand all the great reviews! And we will be reading very soon.
Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Like chewing a gooey caramel treat, The Switch is sweet, comforting and warm read. I loved Beth O'Leary's debut The Flatshare, so I was so keen and excited to dive into The Switch...and it didn't disappoint. I loved the two main characters, Grandmother Eileen and her granddaughter Leena. Their separate adventures gave me lots of laughs and pulled at my heartstrings in all the right ways.

O'Leary has such a gift at crafting interesting, rounded characters - especially in the supporting cast. They are easy to connect with and love or hate according to the role they play. While this story is mostly a light hearted, feel good read, at the centre of it, are the themes of grief and loss and how we deal with that throughout of life. While there were elements of the story that felt very predictable, I couldn't put this book down and I'm still smiling about it as I write this review.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus books for the free e-copy in exchange for this review.